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Wonder and the sublime

Hiker with a large backpack walking along a ridge with misty mountains in the background.

Wonder and the sublime

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To benefit from wonder, make sure you’ve got the genuine kind

Why the life-long disposition towards wonder – not the momentary experience of awe – is the way to knowledge and discovery

by Lisa Sideris

A woman seen from behind and bathed in dawn light is looking out through a window to a forest

Altered states

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The small pleasures in life can produce moments of rapture

Rapture is a delight that turns us both towards the object of attention and towards oneself, resulting in a sense of freedom

by Christopher Hamilton

Photo of green leaves on branches against a bright blue sky with wispy clouds behind.

Wonder and the sublime

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The most profound wonder is stirred by what is most ordinary

Rare moments of wonder at the mere existence of things – rather than the dramatic or new – involve perceiving with the soul

by Maria Balaska

Black-and-white photo of a child standing in front of a large aquarium, watching big fish swim by.

Transcendent experience

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To thrive, children need to experience awe – and you can help

Alongside love, sleep and play, awe is precious for children. There are small, everyday ways to make it a part of their lives

by Artemisia O’bi & Fan Yang

Ancient artefact with gold sun, moon, and stars on a dark blue-green background, likely depicting an early astronomical observation.

Wonder and the sublime

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Bronze Age people looked to the skyscape to navigate their lives

Long before stargazing helped humans navigate the Earth, the skyscape gave Bronze Age people mystery and wonder

by Kata Karáth

A painting depicting a human figure, mythical creatures, a large turtle, dragon, snake, and swirling waters.

Poetry

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The meaning of cowardly dogs and other puzzles of Arabic poetry

In classical Arabic poetry, beauty and wonder lie in the logical unravelling of a metaphor, rather than plot or character

by Lara Harb

A person arranging colourful abstract paintings on a table. The image is a photograph taken from above.

Stories and literature

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Access to the arts is a human right, for prisoners as for students

Beyond pleasure or instruction, literature opens us up to catharsis and wonder. Access to art in prison is a human right

by Emma Gilby